Nickels And The DIGGER Coil

[Old Longhair]

I've had a chance to get out a few times for short hunts recently, and I've found a consistent way to ID nickels with my DIGGER on the 705. In the last three hunts I've dug no less than 12 nickels, including two war nickels ('42 & '43), and they all came in the same way.

The secret is a combination of high/low tones and TID. I get a consistent high tone swinging left-to-right, and a consistent low tone when passing over the target right-to-left. Left-to-right (LtR) the TID jumps a bit between 38 & 42, followed by RtL TID's jumping all over in the low range from -2 to 18. I've completely circled the targets, and it makes no difference where around the target I am, it behaves the same. At first I thought it could be more than one object in the vicinity, but that was proven to not be the case at all. The key is the consistency of the one way high tones and TID followed by low tones/TIDs the other way. The exact range of the low tones and TIDs is unimportant.

I love digging nickels, and it bothered me that the Digger wasn't going to be a reliable nickel finder. But now that I know what to listen and look for, I'm even more thrilled with my DIGGER!

 

[D&P-OR]

OL-------How is that coil as far as performance goes in fairly high mineralized ground?-----Also, how well does it do at I.D.ing steel b.c.'s?

 

[Old Longhair]

I haven't dug a single crown cap since I put it on. And no aluminum screw caps either.

I can't tell you what it will do at your sites, but my comparison.....
Most of the ground that I hunt GBs in the high teens to low 30s with the stock MF CC, but a random check yesterday with the DIGGER showed 35 (tracking ON). Typically that little 6" DD runs low 20s to mid 30s with the minerals I have here, though I have seen mid teens.

 

[Mark in S.E. IA]

I have had the same thing happen with the 10.5 DD MF coil and most times when I run in to that it turns out to be a No Date Buff or a slick V. I have dug a lot of old nickels that have come in that way and I have no clue as too why.

 

[D&P-OR]

Thanks----Just trying to get my head wrapped around this as to which coil would actually be the best on the 705 for picking thru trashy sights in pretty heavily mineralized ground---the 6" 3khz DD "Digger" coil or the 6" DD 18.75 kHz coil?---I'm not so interested in the medium/low conductor targets as I am in trying to pull out the higher conductors (silver/coppers) in all this trash in this mineralized ground.-----I'm aware that (in theory at least) low frequency coils (say 3 kHz--as in the 6" Digger coil)) are more effective (give more "spread") for high conductor targets but don't handle mineralized ground as well----where as--- the 6" DD 18.75 kHz are a more effective coil in highly mineralized ground but don't give quite as good as performance when hunting higher conductive targets (coins).------Is my "evaluation" correct or am I all wet on this? (wouldn't be the first time) -----Was glad to hear you say the Digger coil appeared to handle those PITB crown caps well, what with it being a lower frequency coil, I guess it should.--------Bottom line question to ya---when all is said & done----which of these two small 6" DD coils is going to be the best bet for pulling out silver/coppers out of fairly high mineralized ground?---Depending on the area but let's say with a GB/phase shift of from 12-14 on up to the low 20's.-------Thanks OL & Randy---don't know what this ole man (me) would do without ya! -----------Del

I haven't dug a single crown cap since I put it on. And no aluminum screw caps either.

I can't tell you what it will do at your sites, but my comparison.
Most of the ground that I hunt GBs in the high teens to low 30s with the stock MF CC, but a random check yesterday with the DIGGER showed 35 (tracking ON). Typically that little 6" DD runs low 20s to mid 30s with the minerals I have here, though I have seen mid teens.

 

[Old Longhair]

I'd do the 6" 3kHz Del, and here's why.
Assuming that your phase shift numbers are based on the stock 9" coil, your numbers with the DIGGER may actually be better than that. The total volume of ground in the coil's detection field that the machine needs to compensate for is significantly less by virtue of being a DD & being 3" smaller. Add to that that the lower frequency also penetrates ground better than higher freqs, and you might find that you don't even lose any depth. Then factor in the response advantage on high conductors over low, and I think that it would be worth the gamble.

Something that I've been dying to know, is how the 3kHz 6" works in scorching ground in Prospector mode. It something that is on my slate to play with more myself. Between the response difference, the deeper ground punching of the low freq, and the Iron Mask adjustment, I think it could be a real deep killer.

 

[Mark in S.E. IA]

D&P,

first off, I do not own either one of those two coils but if I had to choose between those 2 coils it would be the 3 kHz coil even with the high mineralized ground your dealing with.....Since your hunting for the old silvers and coppers in trashy areas then I would buy the 6' coil that is best suited for those coins and that would be the 6" Digger 3 kHz DD coil.

 

[mapper65]

For the last year or so and prior to getting the digger coil about 3 months ago, I had been using the 10.5" MF more than any other coil. My Mom had been using my 10.5" HF coil. I hardly ever found a nickel withe the MF coil and she was doing well finding them with the HF coil. I've been using the Digger coil almost exclusively for the last 3 months and I've found 3 V nickels, a war nickel and a small handful of modern nickels. All of these nickels have been a 38 to low 40's in the ground and pretty much a solid 12 in open air.

One of my concerns prior to buying the digger coil was that all of the reviews pretty much said that it really wasn't sensitive in the nickel range. I thought that maybe this would be similar to the MF coil so that wasn't really much of a loss being that the MF coil never showed me too many nickels. Although from a TID standpoint that could possibly true about the digger coil being that nickels should be in the 12 range but if they are IDing from a 38 to low 40's and I'm finding them then it's not a big deal. The funny thing is that all 3 of these V nickels are the only V nickels that I've found and all of them have been at site that have been hunted by myself and many other people for more times than I can count and they all rang up like the coin was just dropped.

 

[Goodbaja]

Just curious. I know the nickles ring up close to gold. How hard are rings hitting then? Most Gold rings I have found are lower than the 16-18 I get with nickles on 7.5khz concentric. Have any of you tested this coil with lower tid gold ringsand how deep and accurate was the digger on them? I know the high frequency 6" dd hits hard on silver and I mean hard especially on silver chains. Maybe the smaller coils can just see it since they are so small and concentrated into a smaller area. That makes me wonder how the two 6" dd coils compare on depth, tid accuracy and high-low conducters.

 

[mapper65]

Good question Goodbaja. So far I haven't done any testing on gold rings nor have I found any with the digger coil but I will say that I've dug some coin targets that were easily 6-8" deep. I don't believe that I've ever had that kind of depth with the 6" HF coil.

 

[Old Longhair]

Went to a small local park today for a couple hours to further prove my Modus Operendi. Came home with eight more nickels.

 

[D&P-OR]

Think you're onto something OL--at least in your ground.-----You guys have just about got me convinced to buy this coil.---Now all I gotta do is find where I can get the best buy on one AND the dealer has them in stock.----Called Kellyco today & they didn't have them in stock but have an order in for them.-------Del

Went to a small local park today for a couple hours to further prove my Modus Operendi. Came home with eight more nickels.

 

[Old Longhair]

Check with Bart @ BigBoysHobbies, and be sure to tell him that you're a forum member.

 

[Clad Daddy]

I've been thinking about that coil for a while. Ya'll are really tempting me.

 

[Goodbaja]

I agree I am intrigued as well. Just worried my highly mineralized might not agree with it. I gb in the teens 90% time, sucks. I got a couple trashy parks I know are hiding things .

Thanks again for the report mapper. Sounds like they went out of their way on this coil.

 

[jimpote03]

This is some great information. I have found few quarters with my 10.5DD HF coil and those were all "iffy" signals with a TID mostly 12 and any other number. GB here varies from the mid teens to the mid 30's. I don't remember finding any with the 6" Digger coil but I am now going to pay more attention. Thanks for the info Longhair.

 

[D&P-OR]

How deep were those quarters?

This is some great information. I have found few quarters with my 10.5DD HF coil and those were all "iffy" signals with a TID mostly 12 and any other number. GB here varies from the mid teens to the mid 30's. I don't remember finding any with the 6" Digger coil but I am now going to pay more attention. Thanks for the info Longhair.

 

[Old Longhair]

Went to a new site on a lark yesterday. It was a nightmare w/GB numbers all over the place.
In a 2hr hunt I extracted 9 more nickels!

 

[team sidewinder]

Thanks OL for sharing on the Digger coil. I have just ordered one and your info will help my learning curve with what to expect from this coil.

 

[mapper65]

OL, you should post and addendum to your review of the digger coil. After reading that originally I thought nickels would be few and far between. I found my first 3 V nickels since I started detecting using the digger coil. I've found two buffalos and the other night I pulled up the first war nickel since using the digger coil. I've seriously have found more nickels with the digger coil than my 10.5 MF coil. The digger coil is amazing with nickels although the TID is not the typical 12 that we are used to seeing. Most of mine have been in the 38-40 range.

"From my point of view, the worst aspect of this coil is it's inability to reliably respond to nickels. Not that you can't find nickels with it, because I have, but I have to chalk that up to instinct or intuition rather than the TID. It either sounds like a coin or it doesn't."

Digger Coil Review